I suggest you look for a used Browning or Beretta, and be prepared to spend $1000 to $1200.

And real trap guns are very specialized and not of much use for other shooting sports. A skeet gun will be more generally useful and will cross over easily into sporting clays or 5 stand shooting.

You can probably find a Miroku for $800-900. These are for all intents and purposes Citoris, but are made independent of Browning. I think it is the absolute peak of gun- for- the- money for an OU. Charles Daly also imported these guns and they're typically a few hundred cheaper than a comparable Browning.

A lot of folks here are skipping right past Stoeger and they shouldn't. What it isn't is a 100 year gun (meaning it will last 100 years or more) or a perfectly balanced shotgun with a 3 lbs. trigger. However what it is makes it a great choice for someone starting out. It is a well made shotgun that will provide good service for 5 years for someone shooting 4-6 rounds of Trap or Skeet every weekend. During that time a new shooter will learn the ins and outs of gun fit and what they should be looking for when shopping for a high end shotgun.

Concerning Fit with a Stoeger. The Stoeger Competition is a Sporting model with an Adjustable Comb. Because of this if you are anywhere close to average height and weight you can adjust the stock for a good Fit. At a list price of just 669.00 dollars it actually a Steal.

Negatives for the Stoeger is the wood used for the stock will be rather plain and I doubt it will be Walnut. Most likely it will be stained Poplar. In addition the checkering will be quite course but it it's too sharp to be comfortable a few passes with 400 grit sandpaper will soften the feel. After that a drop or two of linseed oil on a toothbrush and scrubbing that oil in will make it look untouched.

As for step up guns from that Stoeger the Beretta 686 or Browning 725 are excellent options that sell in the 1900-2700 dollar range. Note price will vary with the specifics of each model.

BTW, I started with a CZ Teal O/U that Cabelas had on sale for 499.00 back in 2017. A great shotgun and quite well made but the CZ shotgun have increased in price significantly in 3 years with the Teal now selling for more that 900 dollars.

In 2018 I decided to reward myself for surviving Open Heart Surgery and purchased a Beretta 686 in 12 gauge. About a year later I then picked a "last years model" 686 for about 150 dollars off in 20 gauge. They are both great guns but the fit was just a tick "off". So, I picked up a Beretta Spare part stock for the 682 Gold E that has an Adjustable Comb. Then I picked up a spare for the Beretta 687 EL and built it into an adjustable comb stock for my 20 gauge. If you figure in the cost for my labor and the parts kit for the Adjustable Comb I have roughly 1100 dollars in the two stocks. One additional plus is that both stocks are highly figured premium grade woods. In the image below the 20 is on the left and the 12 on the right. Consider this a fair warning, shooting Clays can be a bit addictive and you will probably find yourself owning multiple shotguns down the road.

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
You can probably find a Miroku for $800-900. These are for all intents and purposes Citoris, but are made independent of Browning. I think it is the absolute peak of gun- for- the- money for an OU. Charles Daly also imported these guns and they're typically a few hundred cheaper than a comparable Browning.

As a matter of fact, I have a Miroku OU with a Charles Daly import mark. It IS a Citori, to the last detail. It is a good gun.

quote:

Originally posted by apf383:
For someone just feeling out the sport I’m not going big money just to check it out. I’ve got good money tied up in other projects. Just checking GB I’m certain if I go 7-800 or so I can get something plenty suitable for my purposes. I can even trade a handgun I don’t use to sweeten up a private sale.

Look at the local pawn shops as well.

I found a used Citori for $650 a 3 years ago with the fitted case. It did have a small scratch on the stock, not a big deal for me.

Haven't had a chance to actually shoot it yet

A guy I used to shoot with had 2 Tristar O/Us. One a 12 gauge and one a .410 bore.

They come with a 5 year warranty.

I saw him shoot both on a weekly basis at sporting clays and he never had a problem with either.

And the fit the OPs budget.

quote:

Originally posted by apf383:
Thanks for all the input guys. Friend of mine is going to let me use his Mossberg 500 pump just to see if I like it. I’ll decide after that. I can always free up some cash by selling a pistol to give me 1k+ towards an O/U should I take a liking to it. Thanks again...

Enough advice already on brand of shotgun. I will caution you against a pump shotgun. You are not going to be able to cycle the gun fast enough to hit the pairs in skeet or sporting clays! I would stick with one of the "B" guns in O/U or if budget is really a concern, look at the Beretta A300 semi. Nice reliable gun reasonably priced!

If he does decide to at least look at the self loaders, a Browning Double Auto is a absolute sweet heart of a clay gun. Those can be found on line and are not all too pricey. The Double Auto would be a shot gun he'd probably never part with. Look them up apf..